‘We hope new Peterborough mortuary will never be used’

The new mortuary, which is planned by the Central England Co-op, would go at Burch House on the Saville Road Industrial Estate and would have enough space for up to 100 bodies.

Today a spokesperson for Central England Co-op said: “Our colleagues are working around the clock to support families during this uncertain time.

“Our funeral team, like so many other businesses, has had to make a wide variety of changes to the way we work to ensure we can still be there for those who have lost a loved one, all while ensuring families and our colleagues are kept safe.

“Due to the impact of Coronavirus, our business is currently facing an unprecedented demand for its services.

“To ensure we can continue to offer the high level of service, care and compassion to families we pride ourselves on, we have made plans to create a temporary mortuary in Peterborough.

“We hope this additional measure will never be used but as a responsible business we have to prepare for the impact of the Coronavrus pandemic.

“We want to give our reassurance that we will continue to protect the dignity of those who have lost their lives and that we will make sure the temporary facility is respectful and fitting under these circumstances.”